Plans are afoot to widen the mataf, or the circumambulation area around
the Holy Kaaba, to accommodate more pilgrims.

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Aug 3, 2011 00:02 Updated: Aug 3, 2011 00:33

JEDDAH: A comprehensive study has been prepared for the expansion of the mataf (the circumambulation area around the Holy Kaaba) to reduce congestion.

Col. Yahya Al-Zahrani, commander of the security force at the Grand Mosque in Makkah told Al-Watan Arabic daily that the mataf expansion would be carried out on the first floor of the Grand Mosque and its terrace in order to reduce crowding on the ground floor.

"We don't know exactly how many worshippers can be accommodated on the ground floor of the mataf," he said.

He pointed out that measures would be taken to avoid crowding in the area by stopping those not wearing ihram from entering the area.

Speaking on the issue of worshippers reserving space inside the Grand Mosque for prayer, especially in the front rows, Al-Zahrani said Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal had set up a committee to end this negative phenomenon and punish those practicing it. Reserving place inside the mosque for taraweeh and qiyamullail prayers has become a common practice for the past several years.

"The committee started work on the first night of Ramadan," he said, adding that 2,800 additional police officers and 25 special security officers have been deployed to beef up his force.

He emphasized the role of the operation room at the mosque in identifying crowding of worshippers in different spots and taking necessary action to disperse them. "The operation room monitors movement of worshippers in every part of the mosque."

Referring to the problems caused by the entry of wheelchairs into the mataf, the officer said: "We have prevented entry of those vehicles into the mataf from Asr to the end of taraweeh prayers but some wheelchair-ridden pilgrims still insist on taking them in, causing harm to others."

Al-Zahrani said security officers inside and outside the Haram have been instructed to deal with worshippers in a pleasant manner.

"Every Monday we give them lectures on how to deal with pilgrims and how to help them. Our officers have responded positively to these instructions," he said.

"There are some pilgrims who do not cooperate with security officers and insist on violating the regulations. Some of them even attack security officers," he added. He also pointed that complaints against security officers have reduced considerably.

MAKKAH - A special public transport service to ferry visitors to-and-from various parts of the Holy City to the Grand Mosque and the Central Area during Ramadan was launched Tuesday.

The service is overseen by the General Administration of Traffic in the Kingdom.

The authorities stopped 2,000 vehicles from entering the Central Area in one day.

With the introduction of the new public transport service for all main streets leading to the Grand Mosque, there is now a smooth flow of traffic in Makkah, something not seen for years.

Brigadier Sulaiman Al-Ajlan, Director-General of Traffic Administration in the Kingdom, told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the new service was needed to transport visitors and Umrah performers efficiently to the Grand Mosque, especially when there is traffic congestion caused by small vehicles being allowed to transport passengers during rush hours.

"Before implementing the plan, the percentage of visitors and Umrah performers transported to-and-from the Grand Mosque in small vehicles was 80 percent but this percentage decreased to 20 percent following the launch of the new public transport service."

Umrah performers were not allowed to enter Makkah with their vehicles and were diverted to the parking areas used during previous Haj seasons, Al-Ajlan added. This was done to "reduce traffic on Makkah streets and prevent incorrect parking practices which disrupt the smooth movement of vehicles."
The new service this year will include all the central areas located between the Grand Mosque and the parking areas specified by the Traffic Department, Al-Ajlan explained.

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Haj has announced a 45 percent increase in the number of Umrah pilgrims this year after it issued more than 5.18 million visas for the minor pilgrimage.

According to a report issued by the ministry, Iranian pilgrims received the largest number of Umrah visas, followed by Egyptians, Pakistanis and Turks.

"As many as 3,855,564 pilgrims have arrived in Madinah since the beginning of the Umrah season this year," the report said.

"By next month, 1,330,636 more Umrah pilgrims are expected to arrive," it added.

The report said special panels set up for monitoring pilgrim services have conducted 14,347 field visits, especially at centers for the departure of pilgrims from Madinah.

The panels found 2,496 violations and complaints.

"Our panels have provided 19,751 services ever since the beginning of Umrah season this year," the ministry said. "They include providing guidance to stranded pilgrims, handing over lost items and solving complaints of pilgrims," it said.

Meanwhile, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah has so far received 2.4 million pilgrims during this Umrah season, showing an increase of 109 percent compared to last year. The pilgrims arrived on a total of 14,200 flights.

"There was a 62 percent increase in the number of Umrah flights compared to last year," said an official statement issued by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

Faisal Al-Sugair, president of GACA, visited the airport on Tuesday to inspect the arrangements made for receiving the growing numbers of Umrah pilgrims, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a related development, about 20,000 Umrah pilgrims have arrived through Jeddah Islamic Port, according to Saher Tahlawi, director of the port.

Foreign visitors climb the historic Jabal Al-Noor in Makkah. Misconceptions are rife among many tourists and pilgrims that the historic mountain also has religious significance attached to it.

MAKKAH - Makkah's archeological sitesneedmore attention and services for the largeinflux of visitorsand Umrah performers who visit these locations during Ramadan - and a project to provide them will soon be executed, an official said.

The sites also need tourist and religious guides to dispel some visitors' misconceptions and religious innovations that have nothing to do with Islam. Seven years ago, Sa'ad Jameel Al-Qurashi, Chairman of the National Committee for Haj and Umrah, submitted a religious, scientific and tourist study to Prince Abdul Majeed Bin Abdul Aziz, the late Emir of Makkah, about establishing a cable-car system to carry people up the mountain and large showrooms for visitors to explain the archeological elements of Al-Noor Mountain.

"The study was commended by the Institute of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Makkah Mayoralty," he said. "The project will be implemented soon, now that it has been adopted by the SCTA."

The study suggested that visitors should realize that these are mere historical sites and no prayers should be practiced at them.

Archeological sites fall under the responsibility of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, which said it has not received complaints from visitors that they fell victim to fraudulent practices by taxicab drivers or private-vehicle drivers, Al-Qurashi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

Provision of tourist guides at these sites is the responsibility of the institutes, colleges and universities supervised by the SCTA, Al-Qurashi added.

Some taxicab drivers have decided to act as religious and tourist guides at the Mountain of Al-Noor, site of Hera Cave, and the Mountain of Thoar at Arafat; this happens more frequently during Ramadan.

Some visitors have wanted to visit these locations have been fooled by people who take them to other places that are not archeological sites. Some visitors want to pray at these sites to get closer to Allah; authorities should send religious guides to these locations to dispel these myths.

The Bicycle Roundabout in Jeddah is a prominent site where ignorant visitors are fooled and believe the bike belongs to Prophet Adam.

JEDDAH - Over 1,600 Makkah youths will serve visitors and Umrah pilgrims this year as part of the "Makkah Youths at Your Service" program. The program, which is part of the Project for Respecting the Sanctity of Makkah, serves visitors to the Grand Mosque and those coming to Makkah to perform Umrah rites during Ramadan.

The project in cooperation with fiveofficial bodies carries out a number of activitiesto serve Umrah pilgrims,suchasserving those performing Tawaf by providing them with wheelchairs free of charge,guiding lostpersons, organizing traffic, providing first aid and creating awareness.

The Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, Makkah Police,Makkah Traffic Department, the First Aid Unit and the Ministry of Haj are participating in the program by conducting workshops and assisting the youths in providing servicesto Umrah pilgrims.

Dr. Talal Abunnoor, Supervisor General of the Project for Respecting the Sanctity of Makkah, said, "The programs provided by "Makkah Youths at Your Service" arein thefirst place charitable acts meant to provide free servicesthathelp Umrah pilgrimsperform their rites. These activities reflect the nature of this country's youths and their love for the guests of Allah. At the same time, the program aims to instill the culture of respecting the sanctity of Makkah among residents of the city and the visiting guests of Allah." In past years, these young men provided noble services and assistance to visitors to the Grand Mosque and Umrah pilgrims with faithfulness and loyalty which was appreciated by all, he said.

Abunnoor added that after receiving the required training, the youths will be stationed on the second floor of the Grand Mosque to serve those performing Tawaf. He expressed thanks to all the authoritiescooperating with the project which will make it easier for Umrah pilgrims to perform their rites.

The khutbah at Makkah With every available space taken by worshippers inside the Grand Mosque in Makkah, thousands of faithful pray outside on the first Friday of Ramadan.

By BADEA ABU AL-NAJA | ARAB NEWS

Published: Aug 5, 2011 23:15 Updated: Aug 5, 2011 23:15

MAKKAH: Sheikh Saleh Al-Talib, imam and khatib at the Grand Mosque, called on Muslims to fortify their faith in Almighty Allah as a means to wipe clean their hearts of hatred and hostility.

"Whoever tastes the sweetness of faith will never experience the thoughts of hatred, evil or hostility," Al-Talib said in his sermon on the first Friday of Ramadan. Hundreds of thousands of faithful attended the congregational prayer at the Grand Mosque.

The sheikh stressed the futility of a man depriving himself of food and water in Ramadan without accompanying it with plenty of good deeds, charity and repentance. "As the blessed month will pass quickly, believers should do good deeds to earn a place amid the blessed in the world and the hereafter," Al-Talib said.

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Under the aegis of Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, steps have been taken to ensure security and comfort to pilgrims and worshippers in the mosque and surrounding areas.

The Presidency of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque has made provisions for the smooth entry and exit of worshippers with special arrangements for the disabled.

"Prayer carpets have been cleaned and polished, the mosque interior brilliantly lit, and all air-conditioners and fans put in full blast to keep the temperature under control," a mosque official said. Jets of water being sprinkled in courtyards have lessened the impact of the heat.

"More than 1,000 trained first aid workers have been posted at 15 points inside the mosque and in the courtyards to provide emergency assistance to people. They also are geared to take special care of the old and infirm worshippers," Director of Civil Defense in Makkah Brig. Jameel Arbaeen said.

Director of Traffic in Makkah Col. Mishaal Al-Maghrebi said necessary precautions were taken to avoid traffic snarls on roads close to the Grand Mosque and at entry points to the city on Friday.

"Five car parks have been opened for Umrah pilgrims from Jeddah, Leith, Al-Karr Al-Hada, Madinah and Sail at the entry points to the city. The pilgrims are bussed to the mosque from these car parks," Al-Maghrebi said. Car parks have been set up at Al-Zahir, Qashlah, Rusaifah, Kudai, Gazzah and Mahbas Al-Jin for the visitors.

Cars and private buses are not permitted to enter the Central Zone 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after prayer time. Passengers need to take public transport buses that ply 24 hours a day to reach the mosque. The move cut traffic around the mosque considerably, the official said.

Director of Operations in the Grand Mosque Muhammad Al-Jabri said 14 electrical feeders are supplying power to the mosque. The supply is regulated by a computer system and ensures uninterrupted supply with the help of 645 workers. He put the number of fans at more than 6,000 while a number of cooling centers, connected to 110 air-cooling ducts, keep the mosque cool. Over 30,000 florescent lamps and 1,400 chandeliers keep the mosque's interior illuminated. The department also supervises nine escalators, 14 lifts, Zamzam pumps, fire extinguishers and warning networks, he said.

Meanwhile, the imam and khatib at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, Sheikh Husain Al-Sheikh, exhorted believers to come closer to Almighty Allah by purifying their hearts and minds during Ramadan.

Sheikh Saleh AalTalib, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, said the holy month of Ramadan is a bounty for the faithfuls from Almighty Allah. The month, he said, offers a Muslim an opportunity to win plenty of rewards from the Supreme Being.

"During this month, a person either succeeds or fails in winning the rewards. Ramadan will passrapidly. Those who have won Allah'srecompensewill bein blissin thisworld and on the Day of Judgment while those who have failed will cry with regret for wasting their valuable time," he said.

In his Friday sermon at the Grand Mosque, Aal Talib called on Muslims during the holy month to minimize their concern for all worldly matters, be kind to their relatives,glorifyAllaha lot, be conscious of Allahand fearHim becauseRamadan links the hearts with Allahand thefasting Muslim tastes the sweetness of belief (Iman) and whoever knows the sweetness of Iman does not have hatred, evil or aggression.

When Taqwa (being conscious of Allahand fearing Him)settles in in the hearts, it wipes out deception, so a person keeps away from whatever is forbidden (haram) and stops lying. He also observes Istighfar.

Aal Talib said a fast with all its inherent characteristics leads a Muslim to Taqwa and he strivesto do asmany good deedsas he can before the holy month is over. Regrettably, he said, for many people Ramadan is just stopping eating and drinking and no more. He called on suchpeople to makeanintrospection and make the best use of this blessed month to win Allah's rewards.

In Madina, Sheikh Hussein Aal Al-Sheikh, Imam and Khateeb of the Prophet's Mosque, called on Muslims to make the best use of Ramadan so as to win abode in paradise and save themselvesfrom the Hellfire. He called on Muslimsduring this holy month to hasten to do good deeds and give alms generously following the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Aal Al-Sheikh said they should benefit from Ramadan to purify their hearts so as to reach the level of real Taqwa in all stages of life.

He said there are many traditions (Sunan) including taking pre-dawn meal (Suhoor) regularly in Ramadan, not delaying taking Iftar and making sure that one supplicates to Allah when breaking one's fast.

In his Friday sermon at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque in downtown Riyadh, the Grand Mufti said, "Those who intentionally delay breaking their fast are committing a mistake and going astray." He quoted the Prophet (pbuh) as saying, "My Ummah will continue to be good as long as they hasten to break the fast and delay the pre-dawn meal (Suhoor)."

Drawing blood by cupping (Al-Hijamah), the Grand Mufti said, nullifies the fast, but bleeding from an injury or nose bleeding do not affect the fast because it was not done intentionally. As to donating blood to save the life of another Muslim, this is considered as Al-Hijamah. In this case, a Muslim must compensate by fasting another day. He said if blood is withdrawn to conduct analyses or a person suffering from heart disease uses a sublingualtablet (under the tongue), there is no harm. As to menses during fasting even if a short while before sunset or blood coming out a few minutes after sunset does not affect or nullifya woman'sfast, hesaid.

MAKKAH - Expatriates found reserving for money placesto pray insidetheGrand Mosque will be deported and Saudis involved in this illegalpracticewill bereferred to theauthoritiesconcerned, according to new regulations issued by the General Presidency of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque.

The Presidency has formed a committee to prevent this practice and has distributed 2,000 pamphlets which contain a religious decree issued by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah AalAl-Sheikh, theGrand Mufti, prohibiting this practice.

To be in a prime place for prayer is a privilege thatshould not beboughtand sold, but rather earned by dedication and effort, says the religious decree. Dr. Yousuf Al-Wabel, AssistantDeputy President for Services at the General Presidency, said that the committee, which began work on the first day of Ramadan, makes tours inside the Grand Mosque looking for people who chargea reservationfeeforplacesto pray. During Ramadan, each spacecan sell forup to SR900.

Meanwhile, it has been announced that to deal with the ever-increasing numbers of pilgrims, security, research and academic bodies are studying a proposal to expand the Mataf - the area around the Ka'ba for circumambulation - by 160 percent.

The proposal was made by a committee tasked with studying the expansion of the Mataf over the last three years.

Shariah viewpoints were examined by two members of the Board of Senior Ulema and officials of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

Unreasonably high Makkah rents leave many unable to spend Ramadan in Grand Mosque

By ARAB NEWS

Published: Aug 7, 2011 22:19 Updated: Aug 7, 2011 22:44

MAKKAH: "High rents have wrecked my plansto spend Ramadan in a spiritual atmosphere in the vicinity of the Grand Mosque," declared Muhammad Husain, a domestic pilgrim.

There are not many vacant hotel rooms in Makkah since the beginning of Ramadan this year, despite the astronomically high rent rates for hotel rooms. Middle-class familiescannot afford to stay in hotels close to the Grand Mosque because of high rents that can reach up to SR7,000 per day. Pilgrims, if not immensely rich, complete their Umrah as quickly as possible and leave for Taif or Jeddah, where the rents are affordable, Al-Riyadh daily reported on Saturday. Many have demanded that the government take steps to rein in greedy hotel owners.

The rents of hotel rooms in Ramadan have more than doubled with the average room rent per night in a star hotel reaching SR4,000 in the first week of Ramadan and this is expected to increase as the holy month advances. However, 90 percent of the hotel rooms have been booked for the last part of the month.

A hotel suite is rented for SR10,000 per day in the first 10 days of the month. The rent varies, depending on the category and the closeness of the hotel to the Grand Mosque, the report added.

The exorbitant rates in Makkah are attributed to market forces, such as the low supply of rooms, which applies pressure on rents. More than 3,000 properties, mostly hotels and apartments for pilgrim accommodation, were demolished while clearing the ground for the expansion of the northern courtyard of the Grand Mosque. "Although there are more than 700 hotels in locations not very far from the central zone, a major reason the rents skyrocketed is that school vacations and Ramadan began at the same time this year. It is quite natural that many Saudi families wish to spend their vacations in one of the two holy cities. Thiscontributed to price increases," said hotelier Saeed Al-Saleh.

However, he hoped that the completion of the ongoing residential projects such as the Jabal Omar, Abdul Lathif Jameel and Shamiah Development will provide more hotel rooms and bring down the rates in the coming years.

MADINA - The Prophet's Mosque Affairs Agency has a link on its website for anyone who wants to register to perform Itikaf, said Abdul Wahid Al-Hatab, Director of Public Relations and Media at the agency.

Itikaf is to seclude oneself in the mosque to worship Allah. It is prescribed in Islam as mustahab (recommended).

Al-Hatab said 30,000 worshippers are expected to perform Itikaf in the mosque during the first part of Ramadan, with the figure jumping to 50,000 in the last 10 days of the holy month.

He said those performing Itikaf must comply with certain conditions, including not bringing extra covers or clothes into the Prophet's Mosque. Whatever they bring should be placed in the cupboard provided in the Itikaf area.

Also, they are not allowed to stay in the corridors and at the partitions which separate men and women worshippers. They are not allowed to move or change the positions of the Holy Qur'an stands, chairs, water coolers and carpets.

They should also preserve the cleanliness of the areas where they stay and not disturb fellow worshippers by talking on their cell phones.

They should also remove their personal effectsimmediately aftertheannouncement of the sighting of the Shawwal crescent, specifically afterIshaprayersbecause the entire mosque will be cleaned.

It is part of the mosques huge expansion (prayer halls) + towers and accommodation (hotel)

Jabal Omar project will house 12 hotels and that all of them have been signed off under management contracts with the Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott chains. I've taken the liberty of listing them all here for the sake of simplicity and easy access.

The Assistant Vice President-General for services in the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Dr. Joseph barrage that the cleanliness of the Grand Mosque are within a period of 55 minutes starting immediately after Maghrib prayer.

And Dr. barrage shown that the area of the Grand Mosque of 388,375 square meters while the total area of 17,540 square meters of the day, and are washed in a professional manner in the average duration of 20 minutes, that is, it is washed per square meter in 12.6.

The Assistant Vice President that during the washing up and other sites is used only 400 liters of water for cleaning, as per liter wash 12.5 meters square.

According to reports, management of hygiene that is transferred on average 98 tons of waste per day from the shrine in the holy month of Ramadan, and 60 per cent of this amount is removed outsidetheGrand Mosque of the place allocated to it in a period of not more than 45 minutes, a period of after the sunset prayers directly to the pre-dinner prayer every day in the month of Ramadan, an average of tons every minute amid largecrowdsinsidetheGrand Mosque in the battleground.

And is used to better the art technologies in its various aspects at the Grand Mosque in proportion to the nature of the work in this old house, to achieve the ultimate goal is to get to an environment free of contaminants and any pathogens, and to achieve the necessary competence in the cleaning operations and to reduce reliance on labor as much as possible .

He noted that it was the inclusion of machines for cleaning operations in the projects of the Two Holy Mosques, has been designed equipment of high technology to suittheneedsand privacyof theGrand Mosque, has been providing tens of equipment of different types, characterized by the specifications for and the way art works, some of which allow the maneuver to clean tight spaces and corners , some of which is the provider of the clean water tank and the user, machine guns and a strong pay, and working these machines to vacuum dirt and then stored in designated areas and then emptied in the centers of sanitation.

JEDDAH – Trial run of theHoly SitesTrain Project will start by the middle of Ramadan and continue until Haj, said Fahd Abu Tarboush, Director General of the Holy Sites Train project.

The train will beoperating automaticallywith no driverasa test preparing for transporting pilgrims in the next Haj season at full capacity, he added.

When the system is operational, 15 trains will transport pilgrims between Arafat, Muzdalifa and Mina, with two on standby; each train will have12carriagesand a 3,000-passenger capacity, Abu Tarboush said.

Passengers will board and departatninetent-shaped stations, three in Arafat and three in Muzdalifa and Mina, each of which will havea capacity of 12,000 people, the official said.

The trains will transport people to theGrand Mosque on a year-round basis from the new parking area the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs set up on Taif Road, and from Al-Awali area and adjacent areas, which will reduce traffic congestions around the Grand Mosque, he added.

Over 15 years, Saudi Arabia spent SR30 billion on projects serving pilgrims; the projects include Jamarat Bridge, other bridges, the Holy Sites Train, a firefighting network, a flood-drainage project and other efforts.

MAKKAH — Sophisticated metal and explosive detectors are being planned to be installed at all gates of the Grand Mosque to prevent entry of banned materials inside the Holy Haram, Lt. Col. Fawaz Al-Sahafi, Director of Security Guards Department in the Grand Mosque, said here Wednesday.

At present, he said, a workforce of 180 personnel in five shifts are physically manning all the entry points to the mosque.

Al-Sahafi said a new arrangement is under consideration which allows security personnel to monitor the to and fro movement of the worshippers while employees in civil clothes would prevent them from carrying food items other than those allowed by the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

Meanwhile, authorities have introduced various measures to ensure safety and security during this year’s Haj, including cameras at pilgrims’ residential buildings, traffic initiatives and crowd-management plans inside the Grand Mosque, said Lt. Gen. Saeed Bin Abdullah Al-Qahtani, Director General of Public Security.

In an interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Al-Qahtani said the traffic plan will make the city safer and ease traveling for visitors and pilgrims.

There is currently a ban on private cars carrying Umrah pilgrims from entering Makkah, aimed at reducing traffic congestion on routes leading to the Central Area around the Grand Mosque, he said.

Development projects in the Central Area include public transportation, which will further reduce the number of private cars in the area, Al-Qahtani said. There will also be more security in the crowded Tawaf area during Haj.

He said the crowds will be monitored and there will be intervention to prevent stampedes, jostling near the Black Stone, and crowding at doors, stairs, elevators and bridges leading to the Tawaf area. The plans also focus on the organized entry and exit of pilgrims from the Grand Mosque.

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